If the man suspected of killing six people and seriously injuring another at a home in Green Pond, South Carolina, had been prosecuted for prior alleged crimes, he would have likely been in prison on July 2 instead of inside the home at 779 Folly Creek Lane.
Ryan Lenard Manigo, 33, of Walterboro, was arrested after the lone survivor of the alleged attack, a 13-year-old girl, identified and provided a description of him despite her serious injuries. Manigo was arrested a short time later.
It was not his first run-in with the law. Manigo’s alleged criminal acts date back to 2008 when he was charged with second-degree burglary. That case was dismissed by the solicitor’s office, according to Colleton County records. Colleton County is part of South Carolina’s 14th Judicial Circuit, which is led by Solicitor Duffie Stone.
Stone is the same solicitor who gave convicted killer and accused swindler Alex Murdaugh a badge to act as a volunteer solicitor.
Manigo’s next alleged dust-up with the law was in 2011 when he was charged with kidnapping, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and armed robbery. He pleaded guilty to the armed robbery charge, but the kidnapping and weapon possession charges were not prosecuted. According to South Carolina Department of Corrections PIO Chrysti Shain, Manigo was in prison from March 31, 2011, to Aug. 1, 2013, when he was released to probation in Colleton County. According to sentencing records in the public index, he was to spend two years on probation after his release from prison at the order of Judge Perry M. Buckner
In South Carolina, the maximum sentence for armed robbery is 15 years.
Manigo found himself in trouble again in April 2015 when he was charged with criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping. The solicitor did not prosecute the kidnapping charge and the grand jury did not indict him for the criminal sexual conduct charge. He was also cited in 2018 for speeding.
The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office and SLED have been tight-lipped about what happened in the lead-up to the July 2 murders, and they have not released a motive.
While the authorities have only identified 50-year-old Michelle Marie Wright and Manigo’s 11-year-old daughter, Sariyah, as victims, family members have taken to social media and identified the others killed in what they are calling the Magwood Massacre. Family members list the other victims as Maggie Magwood, the 101-year-old homeowner; 73-year-old Amose Magwood, who they call Uncle Geech; Michelle’s boyfriend, who they call Hot Rod or Jefferson; and seven-year-old Shamiah Rutledge, who is the daughter of Michelle Buncombe and Dante Rutledge — Manigo’s Walterboro neighbors.
When arrested on July 2, Manigo was charged with attempted murder of the 13-year-old as well as murder of his daughter and of Wright with more charges pending as autopsies are completed. He was ordered to be held without bond during his initial appearance in court on July 3. Manigo is represented by public defender David S. Matthews, according to court records.
There have been no public updates about the condition of the surviving victim.
Contact Beth Braden
Beth Braden
Beth Braden is an award-winning investigative journalist who cut her reporting teeth in the hills and hollows of East Tennessee. She joined the LUNASHARK® Media team in 2023 as a researcher and journalist who handles FOIA requests, wading through and analyzing public records, and connecting with sources. She also provides a monthly update for premium members called Soundbites, which is a monthly review of everything happening at LUNASHARK®, and she occasionally writes and records for True Sunlight. Beth has her own solo podcast called Time of Death, which explores the 1992 homicide of Tommy Griffin and Connie Branam in East Tennessee.
Prior to joining the team, Beth’s newspaper work had taken her into deep-dive stories about faith-based serpent handling and Appalachian coal mining, as well as data journalism work to analyze euthanasia drug irregularities at an animal shelter, uncover the most dangerous intersections on her beat, and see whether or not the local judge’s rulings passed muster when cases were appealed to the state appellate court. And of course, she’s been to her fair share of court hearings, city council meetings, and board of education work sessions.
In addition to her newspaper experience, her byline appears on HGTV.com, nytimes.com, and other internationally known websites.
In her spare time, she enjoys quilting, rock climbing, strange museums, and good cups of coffee.
Please sign into your Premium account then refresh this page to view this content.